And I thought the 44mph I hit this week was fast....‏

[K'Tesh]

The 100mph bike – designed in the bath and made from an old saucepan

Graeme Obree, the Scottish cyclist, is building a bike on which he hopes to smash the world speed record and reach 100mph.



Hope he makes it!

[lovedoctor]

That Flying Scot has always been a touch crazy, but that's straight up looney. If memory serves, 100mph has been cracked on a long downhill MTB. But unassisted triple digits on the flats is amazing!

[wsbob]

Not going to come up with something truly new and innovative without being able to draw from a little bit of craziness.

The more I look at the pic posted to this thread and think about some of the things told about in the story the link leads to, the more interesting Obree's proposal is. I know there are people that are very interested in, and develop HPV's for speed, but I'm not really familiar at all with the more unusual designs for those type vehicles, or unusual riding positions some of them may be built around. People on their back, reclined, generally recumbent style riding position is about the only position I'm aware of.

Graeme Obree's extraordinary achievements of past are due partly to his innovation with riding position. His 'Superman' riding position, in a photo by Graham Watson (it being a copyrighted photo, the time allowed for posting it no charge may expire by the time some of you see it. Link to where it's posted: Graeme Obree-Superman riding postion. The photographer, Graham Watson, does have a website at which prints of this photo may be available for sale: http://www.grahamwatson.com/

Obree looks great, and extraordinary in this exciting, beautiful photo.

Looking at Obree in a chest down, head forward position on the kludged together prototype skeleton of a bike in the photo posted to K'Tesh's post, and the Telegraph story, innovative riding position looks to be part of his strategy for the 100mph record too. I'd be curious to hear from people more familiar with HPV riding positions, about thoughts regarding what they see in this photo in terms of riding position, and similarities it may or may not share with previous and existing HPV design.

I feel bad for people having the kinds of severe personal challenges Obree's had to bear and struggle to rise above. Sometimes though, as his efforts have shown, despite being faced with terrific adversity, great things can be accomplished.

[Bent Bloke]

Originally Posted by K'Tesh

The 100mph bike – designed in the bath and made from an old saucepan

Graeme Obree, the Scottish cyclist, is building a bike on which he hopes to smash the world speed record and reach 100mph.



Hope he makes it!

Is it Flintstone powered, or does he turn the crank with his you-know-what?

[K'Tesh]

Originally Posted by Bent Bloke

Is it Flintstone powered, or does he turn the crank with his you-know-what?

I think it's a work in progress...

The article briefly talks about his gear ratios. That said, I'd be a little worried about my "equipment" if it was as close to what I can only imagine is the chain ring he's planning on using. Mental image of guy being cut in half lengthwise by a circular saw.

[wsbob]

"Is it Flintstone powered, or does he turn the crank with his you-know-what?" Bent Bloke

That would require a very adept, well co-ordinated 'you know what'. Just aiming to hit the 100mph mark is going to require a lot from the other couple of 'you know what's'.

Not to worry about a big chainwheel spinning under his belly unless the frame were somehow to collapse at speed. At least if it were to happen, looks like the two halves would be evenly split, unlike on a conventional bike where the chainwheel is offset to one side. Precision on every level is important in a proposal like this one.

Jeff Wills is another bikeportland forum member that drops in occasionally. See his name over at bikeforums occasionally too. Over a period of many years, he's built HPV's, so he might have some thoughts about Graeme Obree's work to hit 100mph.